averell



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. D. AVERELL.

APPARATUS FORETHE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

W1 TNESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

J. D. AVERELL. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE 01?. GAS No. 422,692.

Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

V////////////// (I g i I WITNESS-ES 2% 2 N. PETERS, Phmwumu ra hor. Washmglom D. D.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. D. AVEREL-L'. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFAGTURE 0F GAS.

No. 422, 92. Patented Mar. 4,-1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. AVERELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF PART TO JOHN H. DOSOHER, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,692, dated March 4, 1890.

Application filed February 23, 1388. Serial No. 265,011. (No model.)

I all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN D. AVERELL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the on the line 1 1, Fig. 3.

letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for the manufacture and treatment of gas by the distillation of wood and liquid hydrocarbons; and it has for its objects to provide an apparatus by means of which the carbonic-acid gas generated by-the destructive distillation of the wood maybe dooxidized and converted into inflammable oar- -bonic oxide, the pyroligneous products separated from the gases, and also to simultaneously produce enriching hydrocarbon gases from which the tarry products are separated before passing from the apparatus.

lVith these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front end view of a gas-retort bench embodying myinvention, showing the door of one of the wood-distilling retorts removed. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same Fig. 3 is a top plan of the benchwith the top portion of the roof of the same removed to the curved plane 2 2, Fig. 2, the hydraulic main being omitted. Fig. i isa rear end view. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the bench, taken in the plane of line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig.6 is a detail longitudinal section of a modified construction of hydrocarbon-distilling retort.

In the drawings, the referencedetter A init dicates a furnace, constructed of masonry or other suitable material, having the usual firebox 13, ash pit C, and doors D. Two fines E E extend backward on both sides of the furnace from the front to the rear thereof, and

communicate by means of passage G with the combustiomchamber F of the bench in which the retorts are located, and said flues are also in communication with the fire-box by suitable passages'(not shown) through the Wall of said box. The combustion chamber is separated from the fines and fire-box by means of a horizontaldivision-plate H.

The bench is shown provided with two lower wood-distilling retorts I I of the usual D shape, provided with the covers M, having suitable fastenings. The retorts project at the front of the furnace and are set directly on the division-plate. Pipes N extend upwardly from the projecting ends of the woodremoved when exhausted without injury and,

a fresh cartridge inserted, and the resulting charcoal will be saved in a commercial condition. The converter-retortR is also charged by means of a removable cartridge or shell S of peculiar construction. This shell has an induction opening or openings at its front end to receive the discharge from the pipes P P into'the retort and an exit at its rear end, and is provided with a series of partitions or baffle-plates T, extending alternately from the bottom and the top of the shell, so as to form a tortuous or zigzag longitudinal passage through the shell for the gases from the wooddistilling retorts. This converter shell or cartridge S is filled with carbonaceous material, preferably granulated charcoal, which will deoxidize the carbonic -acid gas passing through the same and convert it into inflammable carbonic oxide, the oxygen eliminated uniting with the charcoal to form an additional volume of carbonic-oxide gas, and this carbonaceous reducing material is inserted and loosely packed when the shell is removed into the compartments of the shell S, formed by the walls T, through openings WV in the top wall of the same and suitably arranged between the partitions.

A system of oil heating and vaporizing pipes D are located in and extend through and back and forth in a space in the top or roof of the bench, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, and connect at one end with a suitable hydrocarbon-fl uid supply (not shown) and at their'other ends with pipes B, extending into the rear ends of the hydrocarbon vaporizing and superheating retorts X X, extending horizontally through the upper portion of the furnace and projecting at the rear.

In order to subject the hydrocarbon vapor to a prolonged and effective heating operation, each retort X is provided with a longitudinal inner concentric chamber Z, forming a central longitudinal inner passage through the retort, and also an outer annular longitudinal passage in the same around and communicating at the front end of the inner chamber Z. In order to still further retard the passage of the hydrocarbon vapor and keep it longer in contact with heated metallic surfaces, the inner chambers Z of each hydrocarbon-retort are provided around their exte riors with annular deflecting-plates A, and the top wall of each retort X is provided with tween plates A, thereby forming a tortuous passage for the vapors through the retort. Each pipe B from the oilvaporizing pipes in the crown of the bench extends through the rear projecting end of a retort X into the inner concentric chambers Z. The vapors pass through chamber Z to the front end of the retort, and then into the outer annular chamber of the retort and back to the rear end thereof and through the escape stand-pipe Y.

A double horizontal hydraulic main U extends transversely across the lower part of the furnace at the rear thereof, and is provided with suitable water inlets and exits and with openings, (not shown,) so that the main can be cleared. The main is divided into .two separate and non-communicating longitudinal chambers U u by a longitudinal partition-wall M, as shown, and each chamber is provided with gas-exit pipes.

The rear end of the converter-retort R is connected with the chamber a of said main by means of a stand-pipe T, and the rear ends of the hydrocarbon retorts are connected with the other chamber u of said main by means of the stand-pipes Y Y.

The stand-pipes N N, leading from the wood-distilling retorts to the converter-retort,

are provided with stop-cocks D, having lateral arms or handles E secured at their stems, so that when the valves are open the handles will extend down in front of the covers M M of the wood-distilling retorts and prevent the opening of said retorts until the handles are swung to one side and close the valves, thus preventing air from flowing into the converter when the wood-distilling retorts are open, which would result in an explosive mixture in said converter and consequent damage to the apparatus.

The front of the bench may be provided at suitable points with openings F for the entrance of tools to clean the interior of the furnace or flues E from deposits of soot, &c.

NVhen the cartridge S of the converter-retort has been supplied with carbonaceous material and the cartridges of the wood-distilling retorts charged and inserted in their re spective retorts, the furnace is charged with fuel and a fire started therein.

lVhen the proper temperature is reached, distillation of the wood takes place, and the resulting gases flow from their generating-retorts through the pipes and connections into the converter-retort R and into and through the carbonaceous material therein, where the L carbonic acid is deoxidized and converted into carbonic-oxide gas. 1 verter R then passes through the stand-pipes T into the chamber a of the hydraulic main, where all condensable products (such as Zpyroligneous acids, &c.) are condensed and separated from the non-condensable portion r of the product of distillation, which gases can =be drawn or allowed to flow into a suitable i scrubber. downwardly-deflecting plates A located be- The gas from the con- The liquid hydrocarbon is fed into the pipes T D in the crown of the bench, where it is vaporized, the vapor passing into and through l the retorts X X, where it is thoroughly superheated and converted into a fixed gas, which i passes from said retorts through the standpipes Y Yinto the other and separate cham= ber a of the hydraulic main, where the tar, 1 heavy petroleum, and other condensable pro- 1 ducts are separated from the gas and deposited.

The non-condensable and fixed wood and hydrocarbon gases are drawn fromtheir separate chambers and united in a suitable manner, not here necessary to show or describe.

1 It will thus be seen that condensable portions of the wood and hydrocarbon gases are separated from the gases. and remain in their respective and separate chambers-of the; main, from which these condensable products can be independently removed, as desired,'and afterward utilized for commercial uses.

The object of dividing the hydraulic main into separate non-communicating chambers and passing the different gases into said separate chambers,-and thus independently-separating the condensable products, is to keep the gases separate until the condensable products thereof are removed, and thereby preserve for commercial uses the valuable pyroligneous acid, the chemical nature of which is destroyed by union with the hydrocarbon gas.

What I claim is= 1. In a gas apparatus, the combination of a normally-closed wood distilling retort hav ing a charging-opening, a charging cartridge in said retort, a normally-closed converter retort having a gas-exit, a pipe connecting said distilling and converting retorts, and a charging-cartridge for the converter-retort adapted to contain carbonaceous material having deflecting-plates therein, for the purpose set forth.

2. Ina gas apparatus, the combination,with a wood-distilling retort, of a normally-closed converter-retort having a gas-exit, a pipe from the distilling-retort to the converter-retort, a charging-cartridge for the converter-retort, through which the gas is passed, deflectingplates forming a tortuous passage therethrough, and a series of filling-openings in the top wall of said cartridge for the insertion of carbonaceous material, substantially as described.

3. In a gas apparatus, the combination of a horizontal wood-distilling retort having a charging-opening, a normallyclosed converter-retort having a charging-opening, a charging=cartridge for the converter-retort, a hydraulic main, pipes connecting the front ends of said distilling and converter retorts and opening into said cartridge, and a pipe opening into the rear end of said cartridge and extending into the said main, substantially as described.

at. In a gas apparatus, the combination, with a Wood distilling retort having a chargingopening at its front end and a removable charging-cartridge for the same, of a normally closed converterretort having a charging-opening, a charging-cartridge removably located in the said converter and adapted to be filled with carbonaceous material, a pipe connecting the front end of the distilling retort and the converter and opening into the cartridge therein, and the exitpipe from the rear'end of said converter-cartridge, substantially as described.

, 5. A gas apparatus consisting, essentially, of the retort-bench,a horizontal wood-distilling retort located therein and having a chargin g=cartridge, a converter-retort in said bench above the wood-distilling retort, having a charging cartridge adapted to contain carbonaceous material, pipes connecting the front ends of said retorts, a series of oil-vaporizing pipes in the crown of the furnace, a horizontal hydrocarbon superheating retort in the upper portion of the bench, into which said pipes open, and a hydraulic main for said converter and hydrocarbon retorts, substantially as described.

6. In a gas apparatus, the combination of a retort-bench having a hollow crown, a system of oil-vaporizing pipes therein, a closed horizontal hydrocarbon-vapor-fixing retort in said bench, consisting of two inner and outer concentric chambers communicating at one end, deflectors in the outer chamber, said oil-pipes opening into the inner chamber at the closed end thereof, a hydraulic main, and a pipe extending from the closed end of the outer chamber into said main, substantially as described.

7. In a gas apparatus, the combination, with a Wood-distilling retort having a charging opening and a door for said opening, of an exit-pipe extending from said open end of the retort, a cut-off valve in said pipe above the retort, and a lateral handle extending from the p stem of said valve down in front of said door i when the Valve is open, whereby the handle must be swung laterally to open the door, substantially as described.

8. A gas apparatus consisting of a retort:

bench, a wood-distilling retort therein, having I rear end of the hydrocarbon-retort into the other chamber, as set forth.

9. I In a gas apparatus, a closed horizontal hydrocarbon-vapor superheating and fixing retort having an inner concentric chamber forming an outer annular chamber around itself within the retort, said two chambers communicating at one end, deflecting plates in the upper portion of the annular chamber alternately extending outwardlyand inwardly, and a vapor inlet into the closed end of the inner chamber and an exit from the cor responding end of the annular chamber, sub stantially as described. 7 t

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN 1). AVERELL.

Witnesses:

o. E. DUFFY, IIUBERT E. PEoK. 

